Almond Crusted Chicken
Tender and juicy chicken, crunchy sliced almonds, and a tangy cherry balsamic sauce, this baked almond-crusted chicken recipe has it all! This easy chicken breast recipe is filling and flavorful, and it’s ready in 30 minutes or less.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
While I have gluten-free, crispy chicken recipes like my KFC popcorn chicken and air fryer chicken fingers, I love coming up with new gluten-free ways to “crunchify” my chicken. A bag of sliced almonds in my pantry was inspiration for this crispy almond-crusted chicken recipe. I served it with a sweet cherry balsamic reduction, and the explosion of flavors and textures was just wonderful. Even my kids loved it. They used the extra sauce to dip their veggies!
The nutty crunch of the almonds perfectly balances the juicy chicken breast, and the cherry preserves swirled with balsamic vinegar make a deliciously sweet-tangy sauce to drizzle over the top. If chicken is a go-to ingredient in your house, I just know you’re going to love making this almond-crusted chicken for dinner!
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make this almond-crusted chicken recipe. You will find the full ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. Thighs would work nicely, too. If your chicken breasts are different sizes, consider pounding them to the same thickness so that they’ll bake evenly.
- Greek Yogurt: You can use low-fat or full-fat plain Greek yogurt. If you need to make it dairy-free, mayonnaise is a good substitute.
- Sliced Almonds: Or you can use chopped almonds. This recipe will work with other nuts, like pecans, for pecan-crusted chicken.
Cherry Balsamic Sauce
- Olive Oil: I always use extra virgin olive oil.
- Onion: A sweet onion is preferable in this recipe, or you can use a yellow onion.
- Thyme: Fresh is best, or substitute dried thyme. You’ll need about ⅓ the amount of dried thyme as fresh.
- Cherry Preserves: Or substitute your fruit preserves of choice. Apricot preserves, tomato jam, or blackberry preserves would also go well with this chicken.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar wonderfully offsets the sweetness of the preserves and is preferable to other vinegars in this recipe.
How to Make Almond-Crusted Chicken
Follow along with the photos below to get an idea of how to make this easy chicken dinner. Instead of grinding the almonds like many other almond-crusted chicken recipes, I opted to leave them whole. I love the extra crunch!
- Prepare. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet. Combine the Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper.
- Coat both sides. Dredge the chicken in the yogurt mix. Dip both sides of the chicken in the almonds and place the pieces on the baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the chicken at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Cook the onion in oil in a pot. Add the remaining ingredients, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy. Spoon the cherry-balsamic sauce over your almond chicken and serve with your favorite sides. Keep reading for my suggestions to make it a meal.
How to Make Sure the Chicken Cooks Evenly
These are my top two tips to ensure that your almond-crusted chicken bakes evenly. A third tip to remember when cooking chicken is to let it rest before you cut it. 5-10 minutes after it’s out of the oven does the trick. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, keeping the chicken juicy.
- Pound the chicken. For the tenderest chicken, pound it before using it in the recipe. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board, cover it with plastic wrap, then use a mallet or rolling pin to pound it flat.
- Use a meat thermometer. To check that the chicken is fully cooked, your best bet is to use a meat thermometer. Chicken is safely cooked to doneness when the thermometer reads 165°F.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Fridge. Place cooled, leftover almond-crusted chicken in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Refrigerate the sauce separately in an airtight container (I like a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid) for up to 1 week.
- Freezer. Wrap individual pieces of chicken in plastic wrap, and place them in a freezer-safe sealable bag or freezer-safe container. Freeze the chicken for up to 3 months. Defrost the chicken in the fridge before reheating it.
- To reheat. Place the chicken on a lined baking sheet in an oven heated to 350°F. Heat the chicken until warmed through. The sauce can be warmed in a pot on the stove over low heat or in the microwave for 30-second intervals until warm.
Make It A Meal
This crusted almond chicken makes a wonderful main dish, and you can add vegetables, rice, a salad, and more to make a complete meal. Here are a few of my favorite side dishes to serve with this nutty chicken:
- Rice: A simple side of basmati, jasmine, or brown rice goes perfectly with this chicken dinner.
- Potatoes: Chicken and potatoes are a classic pairing. Make my cheesy scalloped potatoes, or try my Instant Pot mashed potatoes recipe.
- Vegetables: Add a side of air fryer broccoli, roasted cauliflower, or roasted sweet potatoes. Quick and easy creamed spinach is also a great side.
- Salad: Serve with a veggie-packed roasted butternut squash salad, or mixed greens topped with creamy sherry vinaigrette.
- Bread: I like to scoop up the sauce with a piece of gluten-free naan or gluten-free focaccia. These gluten-free cornbread muffins also make a delicious side spread with salted butter.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
Baked Almond Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 pound thinly sliced chicken breasts or chicken breasts pounded thin
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ¼ cups sliced almonds
For the sauce:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup sweet onion, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme, minced or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pepper
- ½ cup cherry preserves
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Combine the Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper in a bowl or plastic bag.
- Add the chicken, and mix to completely coat each piece.
- Place the almond in a shallow dish.
- Dip the coated chicken into the almonds to cover on both sides, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.
For the Sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion, and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the salt, pepper, and thyme, and saute for another minute or two.
- Add the preserves and vinegar, and stir until the preserves melt and the sauce is thickened,, about 5 minutes.
Notes
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Absolutely fantastic. I made exactly according to the directions. Served with mashed sweet potatoes and zucchini. Will definitely make this again! Was restaurant quality! Thank you!
Love to hear this! Thanks!
I would really love a bite of that right now!! I love the almond/chicken combo!
It really was so good. I am looking forward to making it again!